Snackin’ Waggin’ brings the treats to the dogs

The Snackin’ Waggin’ dog treats are all handmade. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

Puppy chow

There’s a smell of cinnamon, pumpkin and peanut butter in the air. At first, one might think it’s a bakery down the street, but no, that aroma is coming from a small food truck with a dog bone on top.

Dogs pull at their owners’ leashes not because of the eye-grabbing bone, but because the Snackin’ Waggin’ is in the neighborhood and all of the treats on board are for the dogs.

Originally created for her own dogs, Melanie Fox makes these treats to spoil pups and provide a healthier alternative to other high-carb pet store options.

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“Every time I would buy a dog cake mix or a dog cake, it was either really hard or it was just a weird consistency. I feel like if I don’t want to eat it, I don’t want to give it to them,” she says.

This hobby became a business in Homegrown Hounds, an online holistic pet food company, and its associated food truck, which parks anywhere dogs are gathering. But Fox wanted a business with a cause, so 100 percent of proceeds benefit Hound Haven, a foster-based dog rescue that has saved hundreds of dogs over its nine years. Now Fox is working with multiple dog rescues to form a dog rescue coalition so she can help even more homeless pooches.

You can find the Snackin’ Waggin’ in a different Dallas neighborhood almost every weekend. She even offers classes where dog-lovers can learn to bake their own treats at home.

Fox’s homemade treats include mini donuts, cakes, cookies and more. They look so good, even people can’t help but take a bite. And many say they love the flavor.

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“I have people regularly buy the treats and say, ‘Those are my favorites’,” Fox says.